Trump designates Civil War site as national monument after decimating Utah monuments
Conservation groups note "irony" of Trump administration discovering value of Antiquities Act.
MARK HAND
OCT 30, 2018, 11:55 AM
The Trump administration designated a Civil War site in Kentucky as a national monument, a decision that runs counter to the administration’s emphasis on reducing the size of national monuments. The move has sparked skepticism among green groups.
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Friday — under authority of the Antiquities Act of 1906 — declaring Camp Nelson a national monument. Located in Jessamine County, Kentucky, Camp Nelson was a key site of emancipation for African American soldiers and a refugee camp for their families during the Civil War.
In recent weeks, the U.S. Department of the Interior has been announcing additions to a network of historic sites related to African Americans and the civil rights movement.
Conservation groups agreed the 525-acre Camp Nelson was fully deserving of being declared a national monument. But they also noted the irony of the designation.
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-designates-civil-war-site-as-national-monument-after-decimating-utah-monuments-63339c173a17/
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It’s at odds with the administration’s ongoing attack on national monuments, which began with Trump’s April 2017 executive order that required the Department of the Interior conduct a review of national monuments due to “modern Antiquities Act overreach” by previous administrations.
The Trump administration’s opposition to the Antiquities Act, for instance, was put on full display when it was used to decimate the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monuments in December 2017.
